You can receive extra credit in this course for writing one (or more!)
two-page, double-spaced papers in which you summarize and provide a critical
evaluation of an approved empirical journal article. Please allow me to approve
articles you’ve selected before you begin to write. Guidelines for this
assignment follow. '

Summary. You should begin this section with a complete reference to
the article you are critiquing. Be sure that the reference is in APA style.
Next, you should provide a brief synopsis of the article. In your synopsis, be
sure to answer the following questions: What is the central question (or
questions) that the researchers are trying to address? Who are the participants?
What methods were used? What were the major research findings?

Critical Evaluation. You should begin this section by discussing the
limitations of the research. For example: Is the sample appropriately diverse?
Were appropriate “controls” included? Are the authors’ conclusions supported by
the research findings? Are alternative interpretations possible? In discussing
the limitations of the study, do not rely, simply, on the limitations discussed
by the authors. Your grade will depend, in part, on evidence that you are
thinking critically and independently. In this section, you can also talk about
whether the article confirms or contradicts the findings presented in your text
or in class, what the findings mean for you personally or for society, and how
the study might be improved.

Along with each article critique, you must submit a photocopy of the abstract
from the published article.

You can get ideas about journal articles that you might like to read from the
references section of your textbook. You might also do a search of PsycInfo (see
me for more information) to find articles that may not be included in your text.
To ensure that you are reading “quality” journal articles, please limit your
selections to the following journals. Please also limit your selections to
articles that were published after 1990.

PSY 111

EXTRA CREDIT

Guidelines for Writing an Article Critique

You can receive extra credit in this course for writing one
(or more!)

two-page,
double-spaced papers

in which you summarize and provide a critical evaluation of an
approved empirical journal article. Please allow me to approve articles
you’ve selected before you begin to write. Guidelines for this assignment
follow.

Summary.

You should begin this
section with a complete reference to the article you are critiquing. Be sure
that the reference is in APA style. Next, you should provide a brief synopsis of
the article. In your synopsis, be sure to answer the following questions: What
is the central question (or questions) that the researchers are trying to
address? Who are the participants? What methods were used? What were the major research
findings?

Critical Evaluation.

You should begin this
section by discussing the limitations of the research. For example: Is the
sample appropriately diverse? Were appropriate "controls" included? Are the
authors’ conclusions supported by the research findings? Are alternative
interpretations possible? In discussing the limitations of the study, do not
rely, simply, on the limitations discussed by the authors. Your grade will
depend, in part, on evidence that you are thinking critically and independently.
In this section, you can also talk about whether the article confirms or
contradicts the findings presented in your text or in class, what the findings
mean for you personally or for society, and how the study might be improved.

Along with each article critique, you must submit a
photocopy of the abstract from the published article.

You can get ideas about journal articles that you might like to
read from the references section of your textbook. You might also do a search of
PsycInfo (see me for more information) to find articles that may not be included
in your text.

To
ensure that you are reading "quality" journal articles, please limit your
selections to the following journals. Please also limit your selections to
articles that were published after 1990.